


Front Page

by RyanTyler2294



Series: A Tiny Scandal [4]
Category: DC Animated Universe, DC Cinematic Universe, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-18 21:13:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9403073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyanTyler2294/pseuds/RyanTyler2294
Summary: Lois finally gets a chance to talk to Clark. Before she gets a chance to a super fight ensues.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Woot! Last one of this series maybe...  
> I hope you enjoy this one! It came out differently than I planned but I think it's just as good if not better.

“Where did Smallville go?” Lois had done a lap of the office looking for Kent. It shouldn’t be too hard to find someone so big, but right now it was.

“He left a while ago,” Cat was leaning against the copy machine. “Right at five he was punched out. Think he had somewhere important to go.”

“Did he say where?”

“No,” Cat smirked, “But he did seem to be in a hurry. Why are you looking for him?”

“I have to talk to him about something.”

“Try calling his cellphone,” Cat suggested.

“He hardly answers after work hours unless he’s expecting it,” Lois scoffed. “Thanks anyways Cat.”

She decided to gather her stuff and call Clark once she had the food. Worst case scenario, she show up at his doorstep. She knew he wouldn’t turn her away if she was already there.

Food first, then the ice cream.

Clark wasn’t a picky eater, but he did have his favorites. The first place that came to mind was the deli down the street. They had his favorite sandwich there, but he always ordered extra onion and they would put too much on. It left Clark picking a few out before he started to eat. Lois worried that with how long the walk was, that the onion taste might settle in and take over the whole sandwich.

So the deli was out.

Maybe Chinese or Thai. She’s heard Clark go on and on about the place by his house. Then again, she didn’t know what he liked to order when he went there. She didn’t want to chance getting something he hated and then having to add bad news on top of that.

So that was also out.

Maybe pizza? You can’t go wrong with pizza. Clark could eat any topping without complaint. She’d go with basic pepperoni with extra cheese, maybe even throw on some bacon.

Alright, pizza, ice-cream, Clark’s place.

Now, how was she even supposed to explain this to Clark. She sighed as she took the train to the other side of town. Being blunt and getting it done and out of the way was the best bet. But how was she supposed to lead into it? Just blurt it out?

No. She was a journalist. She’s dealt with delicate situation like this. Those stories when she had to deal with grieving widows or parents of missing children she was able to be gentle and considerate as she asked questions. It stood to reason that she could do the same thing while breaking bad news to a friend.

She could defiantly hold it together if Clark started to cry. She could be the shoulder he needed.

It wasn’t until she was standing in the store in the middle of the freezer section that she started to question herself. She knows she can’t just leave well enough alone, but having to break Clark’s heart like this…

She decided it was better get the gallon of ice cream instead of the pint. Clark had always been a big eater to begin with, she could only imagine the kind of damage he could do when upset. It lead to her deciding to order the pizza to be delivered to Clark’s place. There was no way she could carry the amount of pizza needed to feed that man by herself while juggling ice-cream. 

By the time she got to Clark’s apartment, he wasn’t home yet. She knocked a few times before she came to that conclusion. Lucky for her, she has a spare key in case of emergency. It granted her access inside. She put the ice-cream in the freezer and ordered the pizza. Now all that was left to do was wait.

After a half hour the pizza had come, but Clark had not. She had no idea where he could be. But, Clark did have a life outside of work. He may be out with friends right now. She sighed, sinking into his lumpy couch. She located the remote and flicked on the T.V. Clark must have left it on the news, because that’s what came on the screen the moment she turned it on.

There was a breaking news bulletin on the screen. Superman was fighting some sort of alien. It must be important, because some of the other members of the Justice League were helping out as well. Batman was on the scene as well as Wonder Woman. The red streak going across the screen must be Flash.  Cyborg and Shazam were flying in to assist as well.

It was getting pretty bad. That side of town was being evacuated, but Clark’s apartment wasn’t in the immediate danger zone. She just wished she knew where Clark was. With his luck, he was probably downtown in the middle of the fray.

She called his phone. She just wanted to know if he was okay. As the phone kept ringing, she felt her heart clench. By the third ring she could hear her pulse in her ear. Then the phone rolled to voicemail and she felt herself starting to panic. She dialed again. Maybe he just didn’t pick up the first time.

The phone kept ringing and no one answered.

“Clark, where are you? Call me when you get this.” She said into the phone when she was prompted to leave a voicemail.

Her eyes stayed glued to the T.V screen. The amount of destruction that was taking place was astronomical. There was no way that there wasn’t going to be a death toll. Knowing Clark, he was probably somewhere in the middle of all that. Maybe he was too busy running to answer his phone?

After half an hour of not getting through she had to turn the T.V off. She slumped into the couch and kept checking her phone. Sometimes there was a flash of light in the distant. The fight must still be going.

Her worry grew as time passed. It was getting close to an hour since she first tried to contact Clark. Her news app kept her updated on the situation as it progressed: apparently the heroes were keeping the damage contained, but it was still a long fight.

And Clark still hadn’t contacted her. The pizza was going to be cold by the time he got here. If he got here at all.

She slumped further into the couch. Her worry was starting to get the best of her. Even as the sun set she stayed put, not even reaching to switch on the lights. It was dark outside now, and according to her news app, the super fight was over and the superheroes were helping to rebuild what they could and take care of the injured.

It was another thirty minutes before she started to call around to the local hospitals to see if Clark had been checked in. So far he hadn’t turned up. Her next thought was to call the morgue, but she shook it off. She wouldn’t let herself think negatively.

Clark was probably fine. He got stuck in traffic and was having a hard time getting back. He was so frazzled that he hadn’t checked his phone during all the commotion. He could be a bit ditsy like that, especially in an emergency.

Lois started to doze as she waited. She thought she wouldn’t be able to rest until she heard from Clark, but her worry was exhausting her. She would peek at her phone from time to time. The bright light helped to wake her up. Yet, she still felt her eyes getting heavy.

Then there was a sudden swoosh from the window. Lois jerked awake to see Superman standing on the far side of the living room. His back was to her as he sighed and stretched. Superman then turned to the house phone and pressed the button on the phone's base so it would start playing back voicemails.

He walked around like he owned the place. He took off his cape and threw it into the chair that stood by the hall. He took the time to take off his boots, still unaware of Lois’s presence. He was more focused on the messages that were playing. The messages that were meant for Clark.

A few of the voicemails were just from sources telling him when to meet to trade information. There was one that stood out to her. It was a message from Bruce.

“Hey, it’s me. I just wanted to remind you that Dick’s birthday is coming up, and he really wants you to come to the party. And I was hoping you’re free this weekend. I have a surprise for you. Call me when you can. Love you.” The message ended with a kiss.

“Love you too,” Superman smiled and started to pull his shirt over his head. Lois couldn’t turn away from the sight. Not even when he started to slide the pants down off his hips, revealing well fitted Green Lantern boxer briefs. The ones with the glow in the dark symbol on the back. They looked just like the ones Lois had gotten Clark as a prank gift.

That was a coincidence. But why was Superman putting on Clark’s sweater, and Clark’s sweatpants? The whole time he was mumbling and complaining about the super fight as he stopped to check his refrigerator. He then stopped to put on Clark’s glasses and….

“C-Clark?” Lois called out.

Superman jumped in surprise as he took notice of her.

“Lois? What are you doing here?”

Lois just started at him as her mind tried to catch up with what she was looking at. Superman had just transformed into Clark Kent. Maybe he had just come in through the window from a costume party or something. Superman has super hearing right? He should have heard her when he came in. And she never actually saw him fly in. He might have just used the fire escape to get in. You know, the one on the other side of his apartment.  She was just making assumptions. There was no need to assume anything.

“How long have you been here?” Clark asked gently. He seemed to be trying to get a feel of the situation and fish for information, like he was hiding something.

“Hours,” Lois replied. “I’ve been waiting for you to get home. What was all that about? The costume and the…”

“Calm down,” He put his hands out like he was approaching a wild animal with cation.

“You, you,” Everything was starting to make sense. “This whole time,” She stood up, and marched towards him until she was invading his space “You’re-you’re Superman? All this time you’ve been him and you’ve never once thought to say anything to me?” She was starting to get loud as all her anger and worry came out.

“Shh,” Clark hushed her. “The neighbors will hear you.”

“That’s what you’re worried about!?” The rational side of her knew that what he said made sense, but she was just so angry right now. “I have been waiting here worried sick that something may have happened and you didn’t pick up your phone once to even let me know you were okay!”

“After the fight ended I was helping get people out of the wreckage. I didn’t look at my phone.” Clark said when Lois gave him a chance to cut in. He didn’t raise his voice. He spoke as if this was a normal conversation. “When I change into costume I stash my cell phone somewhere else so it doesn’t get broken.”

“You really are him,” Lois gasped, taking a step back. She wasn’t scared: she was in disbelief that Clark was admitting to it. How did she never notice this? Surely there had to have been signs. There must have been something that she missed.

“Yes,” Clark said simply. He ever so slowly started to float until he was a few inches off the floor. “I’m him.”

“And you never told me!” Her voice was a pinch above a screech.

“I’ve never told anyone.” He reasoned. “I work hard at keeping this a secret.”

Lois couldn’t find it in herself to keep yelling. She was the only one screaming and it made her feel like a toddler. She took a deep breath and remember how tired she was and let herself sink back onto the couch. Clark sat on the other side, hands folded on his lap.

“What are you even doing here?” He asked.

“I came because…” She had to stop and think for a second. She had been so caught up on the super fight and finding out Clark’s secret that she forgot why she was here in the first place. Then she remembered. “This is all your fault,” She grumbled.

Clark looked lost, but patient as he waited for her to explain.

“I came here because I found out you were dating Bruce,” She blurted out, just to have Clark sputter and turn pink. “I saw you guys on the couch after my first interview with him.”

“H-how much did you…”

“You said something about taking what you were doing to another room and I decided to go back to my own, but that’s not the point. This is all your fault!”

“How is it my fault?” He looked even more confused, almost hurt.

“Because if you just told me these things we wouldn’t be going through all this! I saw Bruce flirting with Superman, who I didn’t know was you at the time. I mean he was all over him and propositioning him while he was still dating you. I came over here with pizza and ice-cream to break the news to you because I thought he was unfaithful.” She gasped. She was puzzling things out as she spoke and realized that this must still be devastating to Clark. “He doesn’t know you’re Superman though. Technically…”

“Actually,” Clark stopped her before she could finish that thought. “He does know.”

“I-I thought you said you never told anyone?”

“I didn’t. When we started dating he noticed a few things and eventually figured it out.” He was blushing. “As it turns out I float in my sleep.”

“You told him before you told me.” Lois said to herself.

“I didn’t tell him,” Clark said quickly. “I got caught, much like you just caught me.”

Everything was starting to sink in for Lois. And by sink, it meant a literal sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as it twisted. If they were such good friends, how had he neglected to tell her about the two most important things in his life?

“Lois?” Clark spoke gently and softly. He must have seen the fight leave her.

“I get the Superman thing. I understand not wanting more people than necessary find out, but how come you never mentioned Bruce? You made it sound like he was a friend and a source, but you guys clearly have something more serious going on. The kids act like you’re their dad. How long were you waiting until you were going to tell me? I told you when I started seeing someone. I mean, we are friends, right?”

Clark’s mouth opened and closed. His eyes wide and glimmering with sympathy and anxiety.  

“It’s not like that.” He put his hand over hers. Now she could appreciate how gentle he was, despite being so strong. “I haven’t even told Ma about me and Bruce. This is something new for me…”

“New for you…” Another light bulb when off over Lois’s head. Oh, oh no. She had pulled Clark out of the closet kicking and screaming.

He nodded still blushing as he continued to explain. “And Bruce is very much in the public eye. I didn’t want that kind of attention, and neither did he. It’s one thing for Bruce Wayne to flirt with Superman a lot of people do that. It would be out of character for him not to. But this part of my personal life with him is different. There’s a line between my alter ego and how I actually live. I know he’s well known for being a playboy and he pursued me for a while before I finally gave him a chance. We kept things quiet so we wouldn’t be on the front page of every magazine. And it took some time before I could admit to myself that I might like him.” He lifted his head to look Lois in the eye as he spoke. “I really like him Lo, more than I’ve ever liked anyone else. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, but…”

“No, no I get it,” She nodded urgently trying to show she understood and stop Clark from revealing himself more than he felt comfortable with. “I got a little worked up over all this, I’m sorry I…”

“It’s not like you came here to out me,” Clark shrugged. “You spent all this time pretending you didn’t know we were together and were only going to say something because you thought he was being unfaithful. That means a lot.”

“I still feel like an ass now.” She hugged him. “I’m sorry.”

He hugged her back tightly but not enough to hurt her.

“So,” he was the first one to break the embrace. “You came over with pizza you said?”

“It’s cold by now. I’ve been here since the beginning of the super fight.” Lois pointed to the box on the table. The cheese was probably stiff by now.

“It’s still good,” He opened the box and just looked at the pizza for a while. Lois was about to ask what he was doing when she noticed his eyes were the faintest shade of red as he looked over the frame of his glasses. Looking back to the box she could see how the pizza was starting to heat up.

“You must save so much on your electric bill,” Lois watched in awe. She was back to realizing that Clark was also Superman, and it was a bit overwhelming.

“You have no idea.”

“Superman we…” A gruff voice suddenly came from the window. They both turned around to see Batman halfway in the apartment. His upper body was inside and he had one foot on the desk. “Oh, you’re with someone…”

“Is it important?” Clark asked, seeming unfazed by the fact that Batman was somehow holding himself up. Clark’s apartment was as on the seventh floor, and as mentioned before, the fire escape belongs to a different window. Even knowing that this guy worked side by side with Clark and could probably be trusted, his presence was powerful, and menacing. It left Lois uneasy by him just being there.

“It can wait until the next meeting.” Batman started to back out of the window.

“Alright. I’ll see you then.” Clark waved. And then Batman was gone.

“He knows who you are?”

“Batman knows who everyone is.” Clark shrugged with a small smile on his face. “He tracks the other heroes down so he has a better idea of who he’s working with. He’s kind of like the guy who runs background check, but for superheroes.”

“And you guys are okay with that?”

“We need some way to regulate ourselves.” Clark explained. “It’s a complicated system. I can’t really go into detail about it.”

“I see,” Lois nodded. “Well, I have pizza and ice-cream and you have Netflix, so let’s make the most of this.”

She blinked when she felt a gust of wind go past her. Clark suddenly had the ice cream and two spoons. She’d forgotten that Clark could move that fast.

“Have you ever watched the movie they made based off of Ironman?” Clark smirked at her.

“No. Is it any good?” Lois settled back into her usual spot.

“It’s entertaining,” Clark said as he picked up the remote and started to look for his desired movie.

“Then I’m up for it. But don’t think this doesn’t mean I’m not gonna probe your mind about the superhero thing. I have so many questions.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Fin

**Author's Note:**

> Omg, that argument was supposed to be a lot more volatile when I first did the outline for this, but it kind of wrote its self and it became a lot more heartfelt and focused more on Lois insecurity of their friendship rather than her being mad about being the last one to know. But yeah, I haven't written a coming out fic in like...five years. Again, it wasn't supposed to be but that's how the coin landed. 
> 
> I'm going to mark this series as complete because technically it is. I might update it periodically to close up some loose ends for example, what was Tim doing? What happens when Lois and Bruce meet? Is Lois actually okay with Clark dating this guy?
> 
> One last thing! I wanted to thank all you guys for your words of encouragements as I worked through this!. I will be writing more superbat fics! I have two more series going and a few more things that I'm working on for these dorks. So I hope you stick around.


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